


Growing Pains

by KodaWickett



Series: Life Cycle [1]
Category: The Cure - Fandom, The Smiths
Genre: American AU, F/M, High School AU, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Underage Drinking, past Robert/Johnny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 12:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18941179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KodaWickett/pseuds/KodaWickett
Summary: “Just when Johnny had decided to hang up because honestly calling your ex boyfriend at 12 am was never a good idea,  he heard Robert on the other line.   "Must be hard up for company if you're calling me.  Well,  what's the plan then?   Graveyard wandering, impromptu trip to Denny's , defacing school property with spray painted dicks?"  Johnny chuckled at that last line.  Letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding he replied, "How about all three?”Or a slow burn american high school au The Smiths/ The Cure crossover.





	Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> This started out with an idea mentioned in a group chat about a high school au where Johnny Marr was Robert Smith’s ex and Morrissey pined. I decided to add more plot than that. Enjoy this slow burn!

Johnny felt he would die from monotonous living if something exciting didn't happen soon.  After receiving the fifth text that night from another friend declining his offer of skating around town, smoking a bowl and listening to records, or people watching at the local Wal-Mart he was beginning to get agitated.  His skin itched with the desire to do anything to jump start his brain into feeling alive.  Giving into desperation he begrudgingly scrolled through the list of seemingly never ending contacts until he stopped at his name.    

As the phone rang Johnny hoped that Robert would give him the distraction he needed.   Just when Johnny had decided to hang up because honestly calling your ex boyfriend at 12 am was never a good idea,  he heard Robert on the other line.   "Must be hard up for company if you're calling me.  Well,  what's the plan then?   Graveyard wandering, impromptu trip to Denny's , defacing school property with spray painted dicks?"  Johnny chuckled at that last line.  Letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding he replied, "How about all three? Gonna grab my jacket and I'll come by your place after I pick up Andy.  Poor kid has just had his heart broken,  he needs us Rob."   

Robert groaned at the nickname but agreed that if anybody could fix Andy Rourke it would be them.  The silence hung in the air like a noose waiting to choke him out so Johnny quickly said goodbye and thanks then hung up.  "What have you got yourself into Marr?", he thought to himself.  Shaking his head to chase away the ghost of memories that still lingered despite his and Rob's relationship ending a year ago,  he jumped out of bed and walked towards his closet to grab his lucky denim jacket. Quietly he hummed a melody of a new guitar riff he'd been working on as he carefully sneaked down the stairs.  Feeling like a ninja as he walked toward the garage he nearly had a heart attack when the hallway light unexpectedly turned on.  Standing before him was his father, a smug look etched across his face.  Johnny quickly sent a text to Robert and Andy  explaining why he wouldn't be hanging out after all.  

Across town sitting on the floor of his new upstairs bedroom, Andy Rourke was feeling miserable. Johnny sent him a text saying he had been caught by his dad trying to sneak out.  There was nothing left for him to do now but put on Death Cab For Cutie and mope. Within the past week he had moved houses and had his heartbroken by Logan the best left fielder Ithaca High School's baseball team had seen in a decade. His parents urged him to sign up for a club since he wasn't going to do sports.  When he refused they dropped the other shoe; if he didn't sign up for a club or extracurricular class they would take away his bass playing privileges during the week.  So the following school day Andy signed up for Drama club where he met former power couple and now his new best friends  Robert Smith and Johnny Marr.   

   He shrugged out of his shirt and jeans before getting into bed and burying himself under the blankets.  He set his phone to play "Title and Registration" on repeat until he fell asleep.  Hours later he was awakened by the sound of knuckles tapping on his window.  His sleep addled mind tried to convince him that the figure shrouded in moonlight outside the bedroom window was a vampire but upon further inspection, it was only Robert Smith.  Andy motioned for Robert to climb through since he never locked it anyway.  Once Robert was inside Andy turned on the lamp beside his bed,  the fairy lights lining his bedroom walls were nice for the aesthetic but since a small part of his brain was still convinced his nighttime visitor was of the bloodsucking sort,  better to be safe than sorry.   

Robert stood in the room awkwardly looking around before running a hand through his artfully messy hair.  "Forgive the intrusion.  I couldn't sleep.  Johnny wasn't able to make it but I thought maybe we could annoy Simon Gallup at Denny's or go to the graveyard and summon the dead."  The last part was said with a smirk that made Andy realize why Robert was Ithaca High's "it" boy despite looking like he'd been birthed from the womb of Hot Topic.  After a raise of eyebrows and pointed, "Well? What do you want to do Rourke?" Andy realized he was lost in his thoughts again.   
"Let's go annoy Gallup at Denny's.  I'll be nice and not order anything with garlic."  

Robert's indignant, "Hey!" made Andy laugh for what felt like hours.  It was only after he saw Robert eye his body appreciatively that he remembered he was half naked.  "This might be too soon, on account of Logan ditching you and all but the best way to cure heartbreak is doing the unstuck.  I'm an excellent partner, very attentive.  Who knows if it goes well you might make it in The Cure history! We're still in our garage phase but one day we'll make it big and I'm sure crowds would love hearing about the night I made Andy Rourke cu-" Andy cut him off before he could finish that sentence by chucking a pillow at his head.   

   Despite feeling Robert's occasional ogling getting dressed was a quick affair.  He opted for different clothes than the simple shirt and jeans he was wearing earlier.  This time going with another pair of jeans, his favorite pair of black loafers, and what his dad called a Grandpa sweater which really was just an blue sweater with an argyle pattern.  Once he was ready to go he filled the preferred side of his bed with body pillows and tucked the blankets over them,  turned off the fairy lights, and curbed his impulse to punch Robert when he made a quip about making out instead of going to annoy Gallup.  

     The ride to Denny's an awkward one.  Johnny had been much better with handling heartbreak after care than Robert.  So he did what he knew best, put on music and let himself get lost.  After exhausting his current Spotify playlist he decided to get Andy's opinion on his band's new material.  It didn't escape his notice  that Andy put their latest song "Pictures of You" on repeat. Once they arrived the tension that had been acting as a passenger dissipated.  Gallup would help,  he knew that Simon was, like the kids say, charming af.

  Robert guided the pair to the table where he and Johnny used to sit.  Thinking of Johnny didn't hurt as much now that Simon was being an excellent distraction.  Romances with band mates usually were a disaster but until he found a nice girl, he had Simon.  "Don't look now Andy but it appears Adonis is taking our order."  Simon blushed and Robert loved that after nearly half a year of hooking up, he still blushed when complimented.  They ordered their food and chatted idly until it arrived.  Everything was perfect until Steven Morrissey walked in.   

 

Morrissey would murder his new neighbor Mike Joyce for driving them to Denny's of all places.  He'd read enough books and watched a few true crime documentaries to know how to get away with it, he didn't want to be in Ithaca anyway. They waited to be seated while Morrissey mentally threw Mike off the Brooklyn Bridge. Mike startled him by revealing he had spoke his thoughts aloud.  "You wouldn't have the balls to murder me Steven.  Besides, it'd be a shame to kill the only person who has sworn to help you get adjusted to school on Monday."  "It's Morrissey.  I detest being called Steven.  Unfortunately you've made a good point, but if they don't have vegetarian options then school be damned."  Mike laughed but his attention was on Andy.  Morrissey noticed where he was staring and rolled his eyes.  "Don't waste your time with that boy.  Everyone who hangs around with the likes of Robert Smith is bound to be an idiot."    

  Mike tried to hide the way Morrissey's remark stung.  He had harbored a crush on Andy Rourke since meeting him in 6th grade. After they were seated Morrissey informed him that he was safe from being murdered.  Mike ended up talking for Morrissey when Simon came to take their order,  the boy refused to say anything.  When Simon went to the kitchen he decided to ask his new friend about it.  "So what's your deal with Robert and co?"   

Morrissey surprised himself when he told him the truth.  "Before I moved here, I ran into Robert at a party.  I'd never disliked him until he and Simon favored humping one another over getting me out of the closet that a group of kids locked me in. I was stuck in there until my friend Linder got me out.  You wouldn't believe how disgusting I felt, sitting there having to listen to those two animals rutting against one another."   Mike was torn between feeling pity for what happened Morrissey and amusement at the disgust that clung to his words when he mentioned the activities those two were doing.   " Mike, I just realized how that must have sounded.. I'm not homophobic.  Hell,  I am gay myself it's just that sex isn't interesting to me unless I've formed a connection with a boy first."  

Their food arrived at that and for awhile they ate in companionable silence.  Mike noticed that shortly after the front door bell chimed signaling the entrance of another customer, Morrissey's eyes kept drifting to Robert's table.  So Mike decided to quickly glance over and when he did he fought hard to keep his giggles to a minimum.  Morrissey was practically drooling over Johnny fucking Marr.  He couldn't resist teasing him about it but he didn't want to be mean.  "Thought you said everyone who hangs around the likes of Robert Smith were bound to be idiots?" Morrissey's face colored a pretty pink before he growled at Mike to drop it and started eating with more vigor than he previously had.   Perhaps this new neighbor wouldn't suck after all.


End file.
